Door operating mechanism for delivery trucks



May 12, 1931. M, 5., 5 -1- 1,805,017.

noon onzmme MECHANISM FOR DELIVERY 'raucxs Filed May 29, 1929 J a? 3% fi I 'I 0 w NVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented May 12, 1931 e e 9 eemrbeaia Application filed May 29, 192a Serial No, 3 7,097.

a vehicle, bodies, and has for an object theprovisionof a novel mechanism for controlling point, the doors of a vehicle body. 7

i 'A more detailed obiectis the provision of means whereby, the driver of a vehicle, may without leaving the drivers seat, optionally open orclose the, doors which are hinged upon the rear ofthe body of that vehicle.

: A further object is the provision of a vehicle door operating mechanism asdescribed, in which means are provided for locking the doors closed to prevent -theirbeing opened in any way other than by means of a control wdevice situated adjacent the drivers station. A further object is the provision of a door actuating mechanism having the general characteristics described, which is capable of operating a pair of doors,1each of which is 1 so hung that it is adapted to open by swinging d Thisi -invention relates to rearwards from the after end of the body and beyond, a position of parallelism with the sides ofthe body, there being means provided for developing a leverage to permit, again 7 i moving the doors to closedposition whenthe p v a bracket 17 and 18 respectively, extending rigactuating mechanism is reversed. V

Another. object is" the, provision of a, vehicle dooroperating mechanism as described, which is of, a very simplenature,'-resulting in itsibeing relatively inexpensive to manfacture and install, andyet which is rugged, With-the result that it will continue to operate satisfactorily over a. prolonged period of time even though subj ectedto hard usage, and which, furthermore, is capable of being installed. not only 'upon vehicle bodies during process of manufacture thereof,but also. upon those bodies which are already in, use,=thereby materially wideningthe range Toffutility of the present invention l The invention possesses other. objects (and advantageous features, some of wh1ch with those enumerated, will be set forth in the followingldescription of the inventions particular embodiment which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a part ofthe. specification;

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of the rear andrsi'de of a vehicle equipped with a delivery from a remote 1 the door operatlng mechanismin position tive doorsfso that they body and having the door operating mechanism .ofymy invention-installed thereupon-g F1g.'-2 is an underneath plan view showing with the door 'closed'; 1 1

"Fig.3 is a view "similar to Fig.2,with the doorsimoved to fully openposition; Fig. 1 is a perspectiveview'ofthe portion of the operating mechanism which. is accessibleto' the driver of the vehicle, an dby BO means of which the niechanismis actuated; Fig. 5 'is a compound," vertical sectional view taken upon the linesT5- 5 ofiFig. 3, with the direction of view as'indicated; vv Specifically descrlbing the .most practical embodiment ofrtheinvention of" whichrI am at present aw are,it is herein shown 'and'described as being operatively mounted :upon a vehicle indicated in its entirety at 6," wh'ich comprises running geari'? having. a aven- 7 tio'nala delivery: body 8 mounted thereupon.

A pair of "doors 11 and :12ware hinged as at 13 and 14 respectivelyftoithe after endL16 of the body 8, in a manner readily understood.

Each "doori'll and 12 is "providediwith .75

idly downwards therefrom past the bottom 194- of the body, thesebrac'kets'beingpreferably secured tothe outer face of their respeextend. downwards aft of the rear tr'lansvers'e frame member 21. Pivotally connected to the lower; endof each bracket 17: and 18, is: an 'arm 22and 23respectively,'an'd each of) these arms extends I angularly' forward. under the bottom319i of the body 8, to be 'ipivota'lly connectedato a slipper 24: which is reeiprocably mounted upon a guide rod 26 rigid with the under 7 side 19; of the body and gextending;longitudia ly thereof f om a po n below; the tree" edg s 27.;an 2 fi h d rs 1 and 12'respectir -1y h s gui er odflama convenie tl be mounted by' attachingits after; end to the r ransv rs m mber ,1;andi fsirward I to e t ansv rse memb r fliinstj orward thereof, s i ab e, brackets on plat s .31, y an 32'respectively, beingemployed for that'pur- P s i f A onne t nsrod 36; s pi tally, connecte t. s teriend t t thee-slipper: 24:,1- and-at its 3 pivotally connected to the slipper forward end to a crank 37 which is rigid with the lower end of a shaft 38 which is journalled in and extends upwards through the bottom 19 of the vehicle body to a position closely adjacent the drivers station 39. This shaft 38 has rigid therewith, a handle portion 41 to which is pivotally attached, a second handle portion 42, the purpose being to permit the portion 42 to hang downwards when not in use, and thus occupy a minimum of space and yet permit the portion 42 to be raised into alignment with the portion 41 and thus developsuflicient leverage to facilitate turning the shaft 38 when it is desired to manipulate the doors 11 and 12.

A disc 43 rigid with the shaft 38 adjacent the bottom 19, is provided with a plurality of notches 44 in the periphery thereof, whereby a movable detent 46 which is pivotally mounted within a suitable bracket 47 mountedupon the floor 19, may engage the disc 43 to releasably retain the shaft 38 and other portions of the door operating mechanism in selected position.

' While the pivotal connections between the various elements of the door operating mechanism may be of any suitable description, the preferred style is best shown upon Fig. 5, which shows the slipper 24 slidably .mounted .upon the after end of the guide rod 26 and the arm 23 and the connectingrod 26 24 through the expedient of headed projections 51 and 52 seated within sockets 53 and 54 respectively, carried by the arm 23 and connecting rod 36 respectively. This type of connection constitutes the conventional drag link mechanism, and whereas the specific form thereof forms no portionof'the present invention, it is particularly adaptable to the present use. The parts are so proportioned and arranged that when the doors are fully opened as indicated upon'Fig. 3, the arms 23 extend beyond the hinged edges 56 and 57 of the doors 11 and 12 respectively. Furthermore, each of the arms is offset as at 58 and 59 respectively, to. such an extent that the for- .ward sides of these arms are adapted to engage projections 61 and 62 respectively, which are rigid with and extend downwards from the after transverse member 21.

' Operation Assuming that the doors are closed as shown upon Fig. 2, the shaft 38 should be turned by means'of the handle 41 and after the 'detent. 46 has been moved from engagement with the plate 43. The direction of rotation should be such that the outer end of the crank 37, is moved rearw'ards of the vehicle, wherebythe connecting rod'36 will push the slipper 24 toward the after end of the guide rod 26. The first effect of this rearward movement of this slipper 24, will be to cause the arms 22 and 23 to move straight back, starting the doors 11 and 12 respectively, in opening movement. As the opening movement continues however, the brackets l7 and 18 become separated a greater distance, with the result that the arms 22 and 23 spread at a wider angle. Consequently, as the slipper 24 approaches its after extreme of movement, the arms 22 and 23separate the doors in a wedging action in the place of a straight pushing action as when opening movement commences. Furthermore, the arms 22 and 23 are of such length that when the slipper 24 has reached its after extreme of movement, the doors 11 and 12 have been moved beyond posit-ions of parallelism with the sides of the body 8. This position is shown upon Fig. 3.

lVhen it is desired to again close the doors 11 and 12, the handle 41 should be turned in the opposite direction, thus pullingthe slip-' per 24 forwards. The first result ofthis motion of the slipper will be to pull the inner ends of the arms 22 and 23 forward. This will cause the arms to engage the projections 61 and 62 respectively, between their respective points of attachment, to the slipper 24 and to their respective doors 11 and 12, so that the projections 61 and 62 serve as ful crums about which the arms 22 and 23 pivot in sliding movement, causing the outer ends of the arms 22 and 23 to move rearwards to commence closing action of the doors 11 and 12. When the doors have reached positions of parallelism with the sides of the vehicle, continued closing movement will be eii'ected'by straight pulling action. of the arms 22 and 23, as the forward motion of the slipper 24 continues.

Obviously,the doors may be locked in either fully open or fully closed position, or in any position intermediate these two extremes, this locking being effected by means of the detent 46 within the drivers compartment. Obviously therefore, when locked closed, there will be no opportunity for the removal ofthe contents of the vehicle without the knowledge of the driver, as long as the driver remains at his station.

Various changes may be made in the details of the invention as herein described, without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

I claim: 7 I I 1 1. -A device for operating a pair of doors carried upon a vehicle body, comprisinga guide rod rigid with th'eunder side of the body and extending longitudinally from a point beneath the free edges of the doors when closed, a slipper reciprocablymounted on said rod, a pair of rigid arms each pivoted at one end to said slipper and 'at the other end to one of said doors, and means accessible to the driver of the vehicle for reciprocating 7 said slipper.

2. A device for operating a pair of doors carriedupon a vehicle body, comprising a guide rod rigid with the under side of the body and extending longitudinally from a tending upwards through the floor of the vehicle, a crank rigid with said shaft, a connecting rod pivoted at one end to said crank and at the other end to said slipper, and a handle carried by said shaft and accessible to the driver of the vehicle.

3. A device for operating a pair of doors carried upon a vehicle body, comprising a guide rod rigid with the under side of the body and extending longitudinally from a point beneath the free edges of the doors when closed, a slipper reciprocably mounted on said rod, a pair of rigid arms each pivoted at one end to said slipper and at the other end to one of said doors, upwards through the floor of the vehicle a crank rigid with said shaft, a connecting rod pivoted at one end to said crank and at the other end to said slipper, a handle carried by said shaft and accessible to the driver of the vehicle, and means for releasably locking said shaft in selected position.

4. A device for operating a pair of doors carried upon a Vehicle body, comprising a guide rod rigid with the under side of the body and extending longitudinally from athe free edges of the doors point beneath when closed, a'slipper reciprocably mounted on said rod, a pair of rigid arms each pivoted at one end to said'slipper and at the other end to one of said doors, means accessible to the driver of the vehicle for reciprocating said slipper, said arms extending beyond the hinged edges of the doors when moved to open position, and a pair of projections rigid with said body, each inposition to be engaged by the forward side of one of the arms as the slipper starts its door closing motion.

5. A device for operating a pair of doors carried upon a vehicle body, comprising a guide body and extending longitudinally from a point beneath the free edges of the doors when closed, a slipper reciprocably mounted on said rod, a pair of rigid arms each pivoted at one end to said slipper and-at the other end to one of said doors,said arms extending beyond the hinged edges of the doors when moved to open position, a pair of pro.- jections rigid with said body, each in posi tion to be engaged by the forward side of one of the arms as the ing motion, a shaft extending upwards through the floor of the vehicle, a crank rigid with said shaft below the floor of the vehicle,

a connecting rod pivoted at one end to said a shaft extending rod rigid with the under side of the crank and at the other end to said slipper, A

and a handle carried by said crank accesslble to the driver of the vehicle.

6. A device for operating a pair of doors carried upon a vehicle body, comprising a guide rod rigid with the under side of the body and extending longitudinally from a point beneath the free edges. of the doors when closed, a slipper reciprocably mounted on said rod, a pair of rigid arms each pivoted at one end to said slipper and at the other end to one of said doors,said arms extending beyond the hinged edges of the when moved to open position, a pair of projections rigid with said body, each in position to be engaged by the forward side of one of the arms as the slipper starts its door closing motion, a shaft extending upwards through with said shaft below the floor of the vehicle, a connecting rod pivoted at one end to said crank and at the other end to said slipper, a handle carried by said crank accessible to the driver of the vehicle, and releasable means for locking said shaft in selected position;

7. A device foroperating a pair of doors carried upon a vehicle body, comprising av guide rod rigid with body and extending longitudinally from a point beneath the free edges of the doors when closed, a slipper reciprocably-mounted on said rod, a pair of rigid arms each pivoted atone end to saids'lipper and at the other end to one of said doors, said arms extend; ing beyond the hinged edges of the doors when moved to open position, jections rigid with said body, each in position to be engaged by-the forward side of one of the arms as the slipperstarts its door closing, motion, a shaft extending upwards through the floor of the vehicle, a crank rigid with said shaft below the floor of the vehicle, a connecting rod pivoted at one end to said crank and at'the other end to said slipper, a folding handle carried by said crank accessible to the driver of the vehicle, and releasable means for locking said shaft in selected position. A

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

MALCOLM c. soorr.

slipper starts its door closdoors the under side of the A a pair of pro- 

